A mix of Tech, off the grid, outdoor lifestyle, cooking, strange things and events sprinkled with my political outlook and opinion, outrage and awe.

Geneaology Mac Oibicin

Click IMAGE to VIEW my Family Tree

Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irishpatronymicsurname. (Scottish immigrated to Scotland from Ireland and England) .The English and Welsh derivations mean “son of Hob”. It derives from the Germanic warrior nameHrod-berht, translated as “renowned-fame”. It was ‘borrowed’ into French, where the spelling was changed from “Hob” to “Robert”. The name in Ireland is an Anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic name Mac Oibicin often pronounced Ó Coibicín. The name increased in popularity in, and became associated with Wales around the 17th century. The Robert spelling was introduced to England and Scotland after the Norman conquest of England.

Habbagan or Hobbikin.Gaelicized as Mac Oibicin. Anglo – Norman origins. Many also changed to Hopkins. They were previously known as Hobagan in Co. Longford in the north – west of Northern Leinster in 1659 AD.

SOMETHING RANDOM:1st Earl of Devon|Lord Mountjoy Lord Deputy of Ireland in the Great Hall in Dublin Castle. Ireland is an Anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic name Mac Oibicin.

Hopkins Hobbe kin First found in Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A D The name Hopkins is Ireland is derived from the native Gaelic MacOibicin Sept which is of Norman origin It is mostly found in Connaught Province and in County Longford Hopkins can also be of immigranthttp://www.irishgenealogy.com.ar/genealogia/H/Hopkins/Hopkins.php (2013-03-14)

English Spelling variations include: Hopkins, Habbagan, Hopkin, Hopkines, Hopkyns, Hopkyn and many more. First found in in Cambridgeshire where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066

HOPKINS – This is taken from the English pet form of Robert which is Hobkins (little Robert). From the Irish perspective, Hopkins is fairly numerous in Connacht and County Longforf. Hopkins is used as the modern form of the Gaelicized Norman name Mac Oibicin, the Irish being pronounced ‘Mahk AWE-bee-kin’.

‘Borrowed’ by the French around the time of the Emperor Charlemagne in the 8th century, its spelling was slightly changed to Robert and became equally popular. In that spelling that it was introduced into England, Scotland and ultimately Wales, after the famous Norman Conquest of 1066. Over the next four hundred years Robert, perhaps as a result of its interesting meaning was so popular that it developed a wide range of surname variations, many not obviously connected with Robert – including this one. These variants now recorded as surnames in the own right include such short forms as Dob(b), Hob(b), Hop, Nob(b) and the most direct Rob, Robb, Robin, Robbins, and Robinson. Not surprisingly with such a pedigree, Hopkins is one of the earliest recorded surnames with examples in English records such as Nicholas Hobekyn of the county of Cambridge in the Hundred Rolls of England in 1273, Rychard Hobbekynessone in the Putname rolls of Cheshire in 1354, and Walter Hopkin of Warton, in the wills record of Lancaster in 1563. Surnames were much later in Wales than the rest of the British Isles, and when first recorded and given due allowance for both a change of language as well as dialect and (indifferent) spelling, it was as ab Popkyn, or the son of Hopkin. An early Welsh example was Johannis ab Popkyn in the rolls of the county of Monmouth in 1610. Over the centuries there were several coats of arms granted to name holders. The first was probably Hopkinson of Alford, Lincolnshire, in the time of Queen Elizabeth 1st (1558 – 1603) although the most unusual – is to Hopkins of Maryland, in the American colony of that name, in the year 1764. This was about ten years before official US independence. The basic blazon has a black shield, a gold chevron in chief between two pistols, and a silver medal inscribed with the head of Louis XV, the king of France. This suggests the family were much involved in the defeat of the French during the Seven Year Wars of around that time.

Hopkins Name Meaning English: patronymic from Hopkin. The surname is widespread throughout southern and central England, but is at its most common in South Wales.Irish (County Longford and western Ireland): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Oibicín ( pronounced ‘Mahk AWE-bee-kin’ ), itself a Gaelicized form of an Anglo-Norman name. In other parts of the country this name is generally of English origin.

Hopkins

Family name

Meaning

“renowned-fame”; “Son of Hob” (or “Son of Robert”; a direct translation from the old English version, Hobbe-kyn)

The name Hopkins derives from Hobb, a colloquial form of Robert. In the Irish province of Connacht and Longford County the name has been noted as having two origins, Gaelic and Norman. In other parts of Ireland the name is of English origin. Thomas Hopkins was born in August of 1871. According to family tradition, he was born in County Mayo, which is in the province of Connacht.

Hopkins was adopted as the modern form of the Gaelicized Norman, Mac Oibicin, which is a Mayo surname, the Mac prefix denoting a son of Oibicin. According to one source on Irish surnames, the name was often pronounced O’Coibicin. The name Mac Oibicin was noted in the Mayo parish of Ballinchalla in the baronies of Cara and Kilmaine before 1656 and variations (Mac Obichin and Obbykin) were noted in the parish of Addergoole (Barony of Dunmore which is adjacent to the Mayo barony of Clanmorris on the south), County Galway, in the mid-to-late 1600s. The name was probably translated to Hopkins, Hopkin, Hopkine and Hobkins by English census takers. The name Oibicin still exists in the Gaelic form in the west of Ireland.

The Gaelic source of the Hopkins name derives from the surname O’Goibgin, the “O” prefix denoting a grandson of Goibgin. Loosely translated, the root of the name means beak-mouth (gob – a beak; gin – a mouth). A branch of the family bearing this name lived in Connacht and Anglicized the name to Hopkins. However, no records have been found connecting this family with County Mayo.

The O’ Goibgin family may derive from the O’Molloy’s who occupied territory in County Offaly, which borders Connacht, on the east side of the Shannon. According to The Annals of the Four Masters, in 1410 Turlough and Teige, two sons of O’ Molloy, and Donnell, the grandson of Hopkinn O’Molloy were slain by the Clann-Maoilughra (i.e., the O’Dempsys). The first name Hopkinn may represent an Anglicization of the name Goibgin by the author of this entry. The designation by the writer of Donnell as the grandson of Hopkinn signifies that Donnell may have taken O’Goibgin or O’ Hopkinn, as his surname.

There were also two English “planters”(farmers) who were settled in Connacht. An Edmon Hopkine (Edmund Hopkins in some sources), alias Bokine, of Lacha, County Galway was transplanted in 1656. A Richard Hopkins was also transplanted to Connacht. However, there is no information to link these planters to County Mayo.

The founder of the Mac Oibicin line in Mayo was likely one of the mercenaries who came to Mayo around 1235, when the Norman-English invaded Connacht and deposed the ruling O’Connor king under the leadership of Richard de Burgo. De Burgo granted lands to his lieutenants, who provided grants to their rank and file. An entry in the Annals of Connacht for the year 1235, states that “The young Englishman Mac Oedhucain died in this year.” The name Mac Oedhucain probably represents an early Gaelic spelling of the anglicized Mac Oibicin. The root of the surname (Oedh) is a variation of the surname Aedh, or the English equivalent Hugh, as noted by use in Irish annals. The stem (cain) may be the equivalent of the modern Irish word cinn, which means to surpass or overcome. It is unclear whether “the young Englishman” mentioned in the annals is the founder of the family in Mayo, or one of his sons.

More History of the MacOibicin Name

Many Norman families assumed surnames of a Gaelic type and formed under those designations what amount to septs (a group of persons inhabiting the same locality and bearing the same surname) or sub-septs on the Gaelic model. The majority of these, such as Mac Sherone (a branch of the Prendergasts), are nearly extinct today, though no doubt some of their descendants did revert to their original surnames. The original Norman surnames bore little resemblance to their adopted Gaelic names, for example, de Berminghams survive under the name of Mac Corish or Corish, Stauntons as Mac Evilly, Archdeacons as Mac Oda or Coady and de Angelo as Costello (formerly MacCostello). It is likely that “Oibicin” represents some Gaelicized characteristic of the founder of the family and bears little resemblance to the original Norman surname.

One of the most striking and interesting of the phenomena associated with Norman-Gaelic surnames is the tenacity with which families have continued to dwell for centuries, down to the present day, in the very districts where their names originated. This occurs in almost every county in Ireland.

At the time of Griffith’s Land Valuation of 1857, there were 101 Hopkins households in County Mayo. In the Mayo Poor Law Union of Castlebar, there were Hopkins households in the baronies of Cara and Costello. The name also became numerous in the parish of Crossmolina in the barony of Tirawley. The number of Hopkins households in 1857 rivals those of other surnames adopted by the Norman-English in Mayo. For example, there were 112 Costello households, 130 Staunton households, and 125 Prendergast households.

Mac Oibicin

The Mac Oibicin coat of arms features a white shield, upon which is a lion passant (one forepaw raised), signifying a great warrior or chief, within a red “fess” or “fesse,” which is a horizontal band occupying the center of the shield and three red roses, two above and one below the horizontal band. The origin of the “fesse” is in the military girdle and it often represents public or military service. Red roses typically signify beauty and purity; however, the color red has also been used to signify a warrior or martyr; military strength and magnanimity.

Mac Oibicin was likely a knight, and possibly a household knight, serving one of de Burgo’s chiefs. Hundreds of knights served in de Burgo’s conquering army. He likely earned a fief, or grant of land, due to his merit as a warrior and married an Irish woman from a family in some standing.

Based on the location of the name and its variants in the area of southern Mayo, the Mac Oibicin’s may have derived from anyone of several leading Norman-English families, or their household knights or tenants, who settled in the area. Gerald Prendergast secured from de Burgo what would become the barony of Clanmorris and part of the modern barony of Kilmaine. The greater part of Kilmaine was held by the descendants of Maurice Fitz Gerald, who also assisted de Burgo in the conquest of Connacht. Fitz Gerald was granted the manor of Lough Mask in Mayo. His son, Maurice Fitz Maurice, occupied Kilmaine and the family became known as Mac Maurice or Mac Morrish. This family gave their name to the barony of Clanmorris.

One of the 11 Registered Hopkins Family Crest

The Mac Oibicin’s may also derive from the Stauntons or their retinue, who received the barony of Cara. The area of Ballinchalla was probably part of the area of Cara parceled out to the Stauntons prior to the formation of the modern Irish baronies and the incorporation of part of Ballinchalla into Kilmaine. Interestingly, some sources claim the Stauntons came to form the Clan Ulcin, the root of the name being the same. Also, a branch of the Mayo Barretts became know as Clan Ricin. Other Irish sources state that the O’Connor territory in Carra was divided between Adam Staunton and a Barry (De Barra) from Munster. Therefore, the Mac Oibicin line may derive from the Barry’s. The Carra city of Castlebar began as a settlement around a castle built by the Barry family. In addition, Piers de Birmingham received the barony of Dunmore.

Robert, introduced by the Normans, produced a lot of short-name variations, such as Rob, Dob, Hob, and Hop. Hob or Hop with the suffix “kin” early developed as a surname. Nicholas Hobekyn was recorded in the Cambridge rolls of 1273.

In Wales, the suffix “cyn” was an adaptation of the English “kin” and the name ap Hopcyn could be found in the Welsh patronymical style. In the 1600’s ap Hopcyn lost its ap and Morgan son of Hopkin, which had earlier been Morgan ap Hopkin, was now Morgan Hopkin and a fixed surname. Over time Hopkin gained an “s” (as Hopkin’s son).Hopcyn ap Tomascompiled in the late 14th century the first book of Welsh literature.

Wales. Hopkins is one of those “-kins” surnames, like Jenkins and Watkins, which established itself in Wales. Its largest concentration was in south Wales, in the villages along the Swansea valley in Glamorgan. The name in its early patronymical form was Hopcyn and some Hopcyns have claimed to trace their lineage back to Rhodri Mawr, the first ruler of Wales in the 9th century. Hopcyn ap Tomas was a collector of the old bardic prophesies at the time of Owen Glendower.

More about the Welsch: More Nighthood

The Oibicin line came to Mayo with the Norman conquest. Many Welsh mercenaries/adventurers were part of the invading force. Here’s what I’ve learned about the origins of the name in Mayo:

The Hopkins family name and origin.

The name Hopkins derives from Hobb, a colloquial form of Robert. In the Irish province of Connacht and Longford County the name has been noted as having two origins, Gaelic and Norman. In other parts of Ireland the name is of English origin. Thomas Hopkins was born in August of 1871. According to family tradition, he was born in County Mayo, which is in the province of Connacht.

Hopkins was adopted as the modern form of the Gaelicized Norman, Mac Oibicin, which is a Mayo surname, the Mac prefix denoting a son of Oibicin. According to one source on Irish surnames, the name was often pronounced O’Coibicin. The name Mac Oibicin was noted in the Mayo parish of Ballinchalla in the baronies of Cara and Kilmaine before 1656 and variations (Mac Obichin and Obbykin) were noted in the parish of Addergoole (Barony of Dunmore which is adjacent to the Mayo barony of Clanmorris on the south), County Galway, in the mid-to-late 1600s. The name was probably translated to Hopkins, Hopkin, Hopkine and Hobkins by English census takers. The name Oibicin still exists in the Gaelic form in the west of Ireland.

The Gaelic source of the Hopkins name derives from the surname O’Goibgin, the “O” prefix denoting a grandson of Goibgin. Loosely translated, the root of the name means beak-mouth (gob – a beak; gin – a mouth). A branch of the family bearing this name lived in Connacht and Anglicized the name to Hopkins. However, no records have been found connecting this family with County Mayo.

The O’ Goibgin family may derive from the O’Molloy’s who occupied territory in County Offaly, which borders Connacht, on the east side of the Shannon. According to The Annals of the Four Masters, in 1410 Turlough and Teige, two sons of O’ Molloy, and Donnell, the grandson of Hopkinn O’Molloy were slain by the Clann-Maoilughra (i.e., the O’Dempsys). The first name Hopkinn may represent an Anglicization of the name Goibgin by the author of this entry. The designation by the writer of Donnell as the grandson of Hopkinn signifies that Donnell may have taken O’Goibgin or O’ Hopkinn, as his surname.

There were also two English “planters” who were settled in Connacht. An Edmon Hopkine (Edmund Hopkins in some sources), alias Bokine, of Lacha, County Galway was transplanted in 1656. A Richard Hopkins was also transplanted to Connacht. However, there is no information to link these planters to County Mayo.

The founder of the Mac Oibicin line in Mayo was likely one of the mercenaries who came to Mayo around 1235, when the Norman-English invaded Connacht and deposed the ruling O’Connor king under the leadership of Richard de Burgo. De Burgo granted lands to his lieutenants, who provided grants to their rank and file (see the detailed discussion of the conquest of Mayo later in this text). An entry in the Annals of Connacht for the year 1235, states that “The young Englishman Mac Oedhucain died in this year.” The name Mac Oedhucain probably represents an early Gaelic spelling of the anglicized Mac Oibicin. The root of the surname (Oedh) is a variation of the surname Aedh, or the English equivalent Hugh, as noted by use in Irish annals. The stem (cain) may be the equivalent of the modern Irish word cinn, which means to surpass or overcome. It is unclear whether “the young Englishman” mentioned in the annals is the founder of the family in Mayo, or one of his sons.

Many Norman families assumed surnames of a Gaelic type and formed under those designations what amount to septs (a group of persons inhabiting the same locality and bearing the same surname) or sub-septs on the Gaelic model. The majority of these, such as Mac Sherone (a branch of the Prendergasts), are nearly extinct today, though no doubt some of their descendants did revert to their original surnames. The original Norman surnames bore little resemblance to their adopted Gaelic names, for example, de Berminghams survive under the name of Mac Corish or Corish, Stauntons as Mac Evilly, Archdeacons as Mac Oda or Coady and de Angelo as Costello (formerly MacCostello). It is likely that “Oibicin” represents some Gaelicized characteristic of the founder of the family and bears little resemblance to the original Norman surname.

One of the most striking and interesting of the phenomena associated with Norman-Gaelic surnames is the tenacity with which families have continued to dwell for centuries, downto the present day, in the very districts where their names originated. This occurs in almost every county in Ireland.

At the time of Griffith’s Land Valuation of 1857, there were 101 Hopkins households in County Mayo. In the Mayo Poor Law Union of Castlebar, there were Hopkins households in the baronies of Cara and Costello. The name also became numerous in the parish of Crossmolina in the barony of Tirawley. The number of Hopkins households in 1857 rivals those of other surnames adopted by the Norman-English in Mayo. For example, there were 112 Costello households, 130 Staunton households, and 125 Prendergast households.

The Mac Oibicin coat of arms features a white shield, upon which is a lion passant (one forepaw raised), signifying a great warrior or chief, within a red “fess” or “fesse,” which is a horizontal band occupying the center of the shield and three red roses, two above and one below the horizontal band. The origin of the “fesse” is in the military girdle and it often represents public or military service. Red roses typically signify beauty and purity; however, the color red has also been used to signify a warrior or martyr; military strength and magnanimity.

Mac Oibicin was likely a knight, and possibly a household knight, serving one of de Burgo’s chiefs. Hundreds of knights served in de Burgo’s conquering army. He likely earned a fief, or grant of land, due to his merit as a warrior and married an Irish woman from a family in some standing.

Based on the location of the name and its variants in the area of southern Mayo, the Mac Oibicin’s may have derived from anyone of several leading Norman-English families, or their household knights or tenants, who settled in the area. Gerald Prendergast secured from de Burgo what would become the barony of Clanmorris and part of the modern barony of Kilmaine. The greater part of Kilmaine was held by the descendants of Maurice Fitz Gerald, who also assisted de Burgo in the conquest of Connacht. Fitz Gerald was granted the manor of Lough Mask in Mayo. His son, Maurice Fitz Maurice, occupied Kilmaine and the family became known as Mac Maurice or Mac Morrish. This family gave their name to the barony of Clanmorris.

The Mac Oibicin’s may also derive from the Stauntons or their retinue, who received the barony of Cara. The area of Ballinchalla was probably part of the area of Cara parceled out to the Stauntons prior to the formation of the modern Irish baronies and the incorporation of part of Ballinchalla into Kilmaine. Interestingly, some sources claim the Stauntons came to form the Clan Ulcin, the root of the name being the same. Also, a branch of the Mayo Barretts became know as Clan Ricin. Other Irish sources state that the O’Connor territory in Carra was divided between Adam Staunton and a Barry (De Barra) from Munster. Therefore, the Mac Oibicin line may derive from the Barry’s. The Carra city of Castlebar began as a settlement around a castle built by the Barry family. In addition, Piers de Birmingham received the barony of Dunmore.

By the 17th century fixed surnames had arrived. We find Lewis Hopkin of Llandyfogwg, the bard who was a descendant of Hopcyn Thomas Phylip. His grandson Lewis Hopkins became a minister in Bromyard, Herefordshire. Will Hopcyn of Llangynwyd was, by repute, another Welsh bard. His ill-fated love for a local lass was the basis for an old Welsh story, the maid of Cefn Ydfa.

The late 18th century saw Thomas Hopkins from these parts team up with two English businessmen to construct the Blaenavon ironworks near Pontypool, the largest ironworks in the world at that time. In more recent times there has been the actor Anthony Hopkins who was born in Port Talbot.

England. In England, both Hopkins and Hopkinson can be found as surnames, Hopkins more in the south and midlands and Hopkinson more in the north, although the numbers were about equal in Lancashire. Hopkins can be traced from Elizabethan times to Wortley in Gloucestershire, Lambourn in Berkshire, and Coventry in Warwickshire (where they were country gentry). By the 19th century, there was, with the exception of the Hopkins in Kent and London, a definite westward shift to the distribution of Hopkins.

Ireland. The Hopkins name also cropped up in Ireland. The Gaelic name Mac Oibicin, mainly to be found in Mayo, was often translated to Hopkins by English census takers. There were 101 Hopkins in Mayo at the time of Griffith’s land valuation of 1857. Hopkins was also to be found in Connacht and county Longford, probably from English or Welsh settlers. One Hopkins account writes of a Scots-Irish Presbyterian family who left for America in the 1730’s.This is the Hopkins Family that I am a direct descendant of. Many immigrated to Canada in the 19th century.

America. Early Hopkins arrivals into New England were:

Stephen Hopkins and wife and children came on the Mayflower. His daughter Constance married Nicholas Snow in Plymouth colony in 1627. A headstone marker was placed by her descendants in Eastham in 1966.

John Hopkins arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1634. His descendants are recorded in Timothy Hopkins’ 1932 book, John Hopkins of Cambridge Massachusetts. John Hopkins was the son of my Great, Great, Great, Great Great, Great Grandfather.

Edward Hopkins, a London merchant, was one of the founders of New Haven, Connecticut in 1637. But he did not stay and returned to England in 1652.

Thomas Hopkins arrived in Providence, Rhode Island in 1639. His great grandson Stephen became Governor of Rhode Island and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

William Hopkins, a grave digger by profession, arrived in Roxbury, Massachusetts some time in the 1650’s.

Descendants of these early immigrants spread across New England, to New York state, and further afield. Mark Hopkins, a descendant of John Hopkins, reached California in 1849 at the time of the Gold Rush. He made his money there as one of the four principal investors in the Central Pacific Railroad. He did not live long to enjoy his wealth; but his wife Mary did and became renowned in San Francisco for her extravagance.

Dr. Arthur Hopkins had come to Virginia from Ireland in 1705 with two brothers. From this line came Stephen Hopkins, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and Samuel Hopkins, a general in the Revolutionary war and an early settler in Kentucky. Francis Hopkins moved his family from Kentucky in 1823 to what became Red River county in Texas. Around the same time, Cornelius Hopkins arrived in Pike county, Kentucky from Virginia. In 2003, Bruce Hopkins wrote Spirits in the Field: An Appalachian Family History, an account of this family’s history.

While the Quakers agonized over slavery, other denominations could accept its practice. The Rev. Rigby Hopkins, for instance, was a slave-owner in nearby Talbot county who used to boast of the slaves he whipped every Monday. General Francis Hopkins’ plantation was in McIntosh county, Georgia. There are African American descendants from “Daddy” Randal Hopkins, a slave on his plantation. John and Sarah Hopkins’ plantation was located along the Congaree river in South Carolina. Descendants still live in the house that was built there in 1808.

There were approved Family Coats of Arms granted to some US families. The Hopkins were granted 3 different ones. One was the Bird on top of the original Hopkins crest (English) to Gerard Hopkins with a motto: “vi et animo” : With heart and soul, Or “Strength with Courage”

Another Approved US Hopkins family Coat of arms was granted to Capt. Joseph Hopkins, it was the original Coat of Arms but with the Motto Changed to “Peace is Piety”

The other families kept the original Coat of Arms from Scotland (originating from England) with the moto: “Inter Primos” translating in Latin to – “Among the first” Technically this is my family crest (that you can see in the background of every page on this website and at the very top left of this page). Many facts point in a direction but cannot be confirmed at this point but my family may have emigrated to Scotland from England or Wales so the Inter Primos motto with the bird at the top vs. the burning castle is acceptable from my lineage as well. You can see this Crest on my Grandfather George William Hopkins’ Tombstone by clicking on the image to the right.

In Wales, the suffix “cyn” was an adaptation of the English “kin” and the name ap Hopcyn could be found in the Welsh patronymical style. In the 1600’s ap Hopcyn lost its ap and Morgan son of Hopkin, which had earlier been Morgan ap Hopkin, was now Morgan Hopkin and a fixed surname. Over time Hopkin gained an “s” (as Hopkin’s son).

Wales. Hopkins is one of those “-kins” surnames, like Jenkins and Watkins, which established itself in Wales. Its largest concentration was in south Wales, in the villages along the Swansea valley in Glamorgan. The name in its early patronymical form was Hopcyn and some Hopcyns have claimed to trace their lineage back to Rhodri Mawr, the first ruler of Wales in the 9th century. Hopcyn ap Tomas was a collector of the old bardic prophesies at the time of Owen Glendower.

By the 17th century fixed surnames had arrived. We find Lewis Hopkin of Llandyfogwg, the bard who was a descendant of Hopcyn Thomas Phylip. His grandson Lewis Hopkins became a minister in Bromyard, Herefordshire. Will Hopcyn of Llangynwyd was, by repute, another Welsh bard. His ill-fated love for a local lass was the basis for an old Welsh story, the maid of Cefn Ydfa.

The late 18th century saw Thomas Hopkins from these parts team up with two English businessmen to construct the Blaenavon ironworks near Pontypool, the largest ironworks in the world at that time. In more recent times there has been the actor Anthony Hopkins who was born in Port Talbot.

England. In England, both Hopkins and Hopkinson can be found as surnames, Hopkins more in the south and midlands and Hopkinson more in the north, although the numbers were about equal in Lancashire. Hopkins can be traced from Elizabethan times to Wortley in Gloucestershire, Lambourn in Berkshire, and Coventry in Warwickshire (where they were country gentry). By the 19th century, there was, with the exception of the Hopkins in Kent and London, a definite westward shift to the distribution of Hopkins.

It appears that this particular HOPKINS clan came from England (Wales), lived in Scotland for centuries then moved to Ireland for a few generations before relocating to the New World (America) in the middle of the 16th century. A clan of mercenaries then farmers and industrialists and finally American Patriots and farmers. A rough lot that were familiar with relocating and fighting for their religious cause and personal freedom and to fight against Great Britain’s persecution that led most of them to fight in the Revolutionary war.